The HAPPY DCN Thread!

sNarah

T is all so serious in here these days

So - I suggest a HAPPY DCN thread! Just a place where you can post funny, happy, silly, heartwarming, soulglowing, smily little bits of news, information, data, pictures of things that make you happy in NCD!

I'll start!
The Naul now has a chippers! NomNomNom!

Dizzyblonde

What a great idea for a thread!

sNarah, congratulations on your new chipper - that'll mean at least one day off cooking for you
Although I've lived in DCN for 27 years I hadn't been to the Naul until recently and it's really beautiful out there.

What I love about the North County are the beaches and parks etc. You're never stuck for somewhere beautiful to visit at the weekends, and they're all within easy reach.

LeoB

My daughter got some new clothes today and done a little thank you card for her man who showed me when I got home from training.

It was in her best hand writing with a little picture and the promise of a foot misag!!! Massage was what she meant:D

Great Idea for thread. I will be even happier when I get up in the morning and it has stopped raining and happier yet again when Finish work about 4 tomorrow.

Eoineo

Great idea!

I love the fresh produce we can get in the North County. Last week I spent €30 between the market & the butchers and we ate like Kings for 7 days. My only worry today is whether I can get it all back to the house without collapsing under the weight.

The sun has come out and there is a freshening breeze off the sea so I think we're in for a good day ahead.

Here's a thought. If you only do one thing today, smile at a stranger on the say hello on the street. It won't cost you anything but it might make someone's day.

Martron

its better than living in the city.......... what other part of dublin can you look out a housing estate window on to rolling green ( depending on the season of course) fields.

The Hill Billy

I spend most of the week looking at The Alps, but there's nothing like getting home on a Friday to The Hills.

Sitting on the train now in Bern to start my 1300km commute home. Should be in The Hills by 6 o'clock.

Martron

Hill Billy wrote: »

I spend most of the week looking at The Alps, but there's nothing like getting home on a Friday to The Hills.

Sitting on the train now in Bern to start my 1300km commute home. Should be in The Hills by 6 o'clock.

6 hours.......... sure if you took the 33 from balbriggan to town it would be about the same!!!:D

thats some commute. thats another thing we can all be happy about then. that we dont have to do hillbillys commute

sNarah

Fully agree with Matron there - I'm in the green lush countryside but only a stone-throw away from Balbriggan, Drogheda, Swords and Ashbourne. Such a great location to be!

And also like Eoineo, get my fish and meat from the local butchers, such good quality and our local shops have fruit and vegs from farmers in the surrounding area. Alas I can never make it to the market as it's on on a Friday. Our little wee shop here in Clonalvy even sells freshly baked breads on a Saturday and Sunday, how great is that!

dcr22B

Recently only rediscovered the beach at Donabate and find it's a much more suitable beach for taking the dog for a run (used to always go to Rush South beach but the sand's too soft to do a fast walk).

reservoirdubdub

kfc pavilions s/ctr opening on monday 13th
finger lickin' good

sNarah

This morning there were 2 rabbits in my garden, and I spotted 3 or 4 foxes last night and then this morning, met a squirl and a badger!

sNarah lives in Farthering Wood.

Martron

sNarah wrote: »

This morning there were 2 rabbits in my garden, and I spotted 3 or 4 foxes last night

hmmmmmm.............. the result of this might not be so happy for the rabbits.

sNarah

come on people, we need more

happy
sunny
soulwarming
giddy
giggles


in NCD!

Today was a gorgeous day! T is holidays too!
WOOHOOO for holidays!!

cathy01

SOULWARMING..True story

I stopped the other day to help a eldearly lady bring some donations into the charity shop.She explained that she would love to volunteer but right now her life was upside down as she couldnt leave her husband at all , as he was ill.She did have a personal alarm for him, but he lost the button part ,She couldnt afford/didnt know how to get a replacement part.She felt very isolated .

I opened my bag and handed her ..

A personal alram button that I had found months ago on the street.I did advertise it, but she never seen it.

Now Im should have left the shop about 20 mins before she came, but got yapping.I NEVER carry that bag,as its a winter one.I just had it by chance.

She doesnt leave the house because she cant because of her husbands illness. Something very special hapened that day.

LeoB

With all that has happened over the past few weeks I am just happy this forum exisits.

A heartwarming place by times despite the odd little "set to":)

A TRUE STORY............. This happed way before we had the M1 or Swords by-pass

A certain chap I know started work in Swords after many years doing all kinds of farm work. One morning a little worse for ware he went into the train station and asked for a return ticket to Swords. The man in the ticket office said "you cant get a train to Swords", scratching his head for a minute the reply came "sure you have to go through Swords to get to Dublin"

Stheno

the two markets in Howth of a Sunday, great fun, and enjoyed by my three legged dog who gets lots of attention

the fact that the residents of Swords are weird as evinced by:

a. them never commenting on said three legged dog out for her walks.
b. the person who was bouncing along rathbeale road yesterday telling some friends across the street that he'd walked from rush (not sure I believe that lol)

And the 41x, it is my friend, and on late nights out the Swords Express

I'm horrified that not one person on this thread has mentioned JC's! Entertainment value?

sNarah

Hooray for Tesco for those picture banners showcasing all the local farming dudes, from which the produce they sell in their fruit & veg section.

sNarah

Today we had DELISH new spuddies, first batch from one the greenhouses in Rush. They DO NOT get any better than that!!! Nom.

The Hill Billy

I have fond memories of my school days when the new spuds came in season of hopping on my bike at lunchtime and doing a 3 mile round trip to home for a plate of spuds slathered in butter & pepper & back to class 45 minutes later. Worth the effort!

Corsendonk

Hill Billy wrote: »

I have fond memories of my school days when the new spuds came in season of hopping on my bike at lunchtime and doing a 3 mile round trip to home for a plate of spuds slathered in butter & pepper & back to class 45 minutes later. Worth the effort!

Cycle down to Gerry's when your home, he has had Rush Glasshouse spuds the last 3 weeks.

Corsendonk

The State Dinner tonight shows local NCD produce on the Menu and Pat Clarke of Stamullen strawberries.



RTE Website

Here are the details of this evening's dinner and entertainment:

Menu

Cured salmon with Burren smoked salmon cream and lemon balm jelly, horseradish and wild watercress, Kilkenny organic cold pressed rapeseed oil


Rib of Slaney Valley Beef, ox cheek and tongue with smoked champ potato and fried spring cabbage, new season broad beans and carrots with pickled and wild garlic leaf

Carrageen set West Cork cream with Meath strawberries,
fresh yoghurt mousse and soda bread sugar biscuits,
Irish apple balsamic vinegar meringue

Irish Cheese Plate

Tea and Coffee

Château de Fieuzal, 2005, Graves Pessac-Léognan


Château Lynch-Bages, 1998, Pauillac


Executive Chef: Ross Lewis
Caterers: With Taste

Food suppliers

Smoked salmon - Brigitta Hedda-Curtin, Burren Smokehouse, Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare

Salmon - Clare Island organic salmon, Clare Island, Co Mayo

Lemon balm - Paul Flynn, The Tannery cookery school gardens, Dungarvan, Co Waterford

Organic cold pressed rapeseed oil - Kitty Colchester, Drumeen Farms, Co Kilkenny

Wild watercress, cabbage, carrots, chive flower and garlic leaf -
Denis Healy Farms, Co Wicklow

Rib of beef - From a farm in Co Wexford, produced by Kettyle Irish Foods, Drumshaw, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh

Ox cheek and tongue - M & K Butchers, Rathcoole, Co Dublin

Black pudding - McCarthys of Kanturk, Kanturk, Co Cork

Potatoes and spring onions - McNally family farm, Ring Common, Co.Dublin

Butter, milk, cream and crème fraîche - Alan and Valerie Kingston, Glenilen Farm, Drimoleague, Co Cork

Irish apple balsamic vinegar and apples - David Llewellyn,
Llewellyn orchard, Lusk, Co Dublin

Strawberries - Pat Clarke, Stamullen, Co Meath

Milk - Cleary family, Glenisk, Tullamore, Co Offaly

Dittys Irish oatmeal biscuits - Robert Ditty, Belfast

Stoneground wholemeal flour - Kells wholemeal, Bennettsbridge, Co Kilkenny

Buttermilk and butter - Cuinneog Ltd Balla, Castlebar, Co Mayo

Irish Cheeses

Glebe Brethan
Produced by David Tiernan in Dunleer, Co Louth. Hard Comté style cheese made using raw cow's milk from the Tiernan's own herd of Montbéliarde cows.

Cashel Blue
Produced by the Grubb Family in Fethard, Co Tipperary. Semi-soft blue cheese, made using cow's milk from their own and selected neighbouring farms.

Milleens
Produced by the Steele Family in Milleens on the Beara Peninsula, Co Cork. Semi-soft, washed rind cheese made in a classic Munster style from pasteurised cow's milk.

Knockdrinna
Produced by Helen Finnegan in Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny. Semi-firm goat's milk cheese in the classic French Tomme style.

White soda bread, brown soda bread, sourdough wheaten bread,
Kerrygold salted butter and Glenilen unsalted butter.

Eoineo

So now I'm eating what the Queen eats. Great taste so I have. All of the local suppliers above grace my kitchen table on a regular basis.

Larianne

Stheno wrote: »

I'm horrified that not one person on this thread has mentioned JC's! Entertainment value?

OMG, gotta love JCs!

dubsontour

Have to bump this thread to say Rush village had a very successful and totally enjoyable ( for me anyway) festival this August weekend. Long may it continue.. Well done to all involved

LeoB

dubsontour wrote: »

Have to bump this thread to say Rush village had a very successful and totally enjoyable ( for me anyway) festival this August weekend. Long may it continue.. Well done to all involved

I have not seen so many people in the Harbour area since the 1070s.

It was a great week end with plenty for everyone and for a first attempt the Festival was a major success. Its up to every local to ensure it stays that way and develops into a regular event.


Ronan Hartnett winner of mens 10k
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Carmel Drumm winner of ladies 10k
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Other photos at links below

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25899546@N03/sets/72157627318017600/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25899546@N03/sets/72157627193432999/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25899546@N03/sets/72157627324795342/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001623203425